Spacer for freezer plates



' Feb. 13, 1962 w. KNOWLES Q 3,020,731

SPACER FOR FREEZER PLATES Filed July 8, 1960 INVENTOR. Frank W. Knowles BY Maw ATTORNEY Unite States Patent 3,020,731 SPACER FOR FREEZER PLATES Frank W. Knowles, 2021 Alaska St., Seattle 8, Wash. Filed July 8, 1960, Ser. No. 41,609 9 Claims. (Cl. 62341) The present invention relates to spacers useful in separating the plates in a stack of freezer plates various predetermined distances. This invention relates to plate freezers for packaged foods of the type shown in my Patent 2,927,443, March 8, 1960, C1. 62-341, and is an improvement on the spacing block 67 shown therein. One of these prior spacing blocks was fixed to the underside of each freezer plate adjacent each corner thereof and at the side edge thereof. These blocks determined the spacing of the plates in the stack, and this spacing was, in turn, determined by the thickness of the package to be frozen. Thus, blocks of different thickness had to be substituted when packages having a different thickness were to be frozen. This change of blocks was a lengthy operation.

Thus it is an object of the present invention to devise a mechanism whereby the spacing of the plates in a stack of refrigerated plates may be quickly and easily varied.

A further object of the invention is the construction of a plate freezer spacer wherein there are a plurality of spacer blocks readily available for selective use.

Another object is the construction and arrangement of plate spacer blocks in the form of a turret which when in proper position between plates will give them various predetermined spacing upon selective rotation of such turret.

A still further object is devising of a variable spacer for plates, in which the spacer requires but little space between such plates.

Still another object of the invention is the devising of a plate spacer wherein all of the load from plate to plate is carried solely in compression by such plate spacing device.

An object of the invention is the devising of simple means for effecting selective rotation of such turrets.

The above mentioned defects of the prior art are remedied and these objects achieved by a spacer construc tion in which a plurality of various height blocks are secured to the upper face of a disc, or plinth, in circumferentially spaced apart relationship; and in which such disc is inserted partially between two freezer plates so as to bear on one of the two plates and to bring only one of the blocks between such plates, and in centrally of such disc supporting and pivoting it on a bracket secured to the edge of the plate against which the disc bears. Indexing of the disc about its pivot, changes from one block to the next the one inserted between the two freezer plates. Such a spacer is located adjacent each one of the four corners of each plate in a stack thereof, except the top plate of the stack if the spacer discs bear on the top surfaces of the other plates.

An embodiment of the invention as outlined above is hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of three freezer plates with spacers of the present invention secured to two of such plates.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged isometric view, partly in section, of one of the spacers attached to a plate only partially shown.

FIGURE 3 is an isometric sketch illustrating a mechanism for use in indexing each spacers.

FIGURE 1 shows in isometric view three spaced apart plates, 11, 12, 13. While it is intended that these plates be used for the freezing therebetween of packaged foods, and, in more particular, it is intended that these plates be of the type shown in my above identified patent and used in the manner there disclosed, the present showing omits the refrigeration equipment needed for refrigeration of such plates and mechanism for handling the plates except for a pair of dogs 14 that are similar to the dogs 24 of such patent and which dogs are intended to operate in the same manner as those of the patent. These dogs are here shown, with two others on the opposite side edges of the plates not showing, holding the two upper plates 11, 12 in spaced relation from the lowest plate 13 so that packages may be placed on and removed from the upper surface of bottom plate 13.

Each of the plates has adjacent a corner thereof a turret 16 whose broad function is the same as that of the spacer block 67 at the corner of each plate of such above identified patent. In the showing of FIGURE 1 the turrets have been omitted from the lowest plate 13. These turrets 16 space apart the plates a distance equal to the height of the packages to be frozen between such plates. This allows the upper of two plates to rest on the packages but not to crush them down or to crush their contents. This resting of the upper plate on the packages therebelow, also, reduces or prevents swelling of the top and bottom surfaces of the packages as their contents freeze. The principal objects of the present invention are to devise a device which may be easily operated to change the distance which the plates are to be spaced apart, and to devise a device in which the plates may be spaced apart various predetermined precise distances.

The above mentioned turrets accomplish these and other objects of the invention.

One of the turrets 16 is shown in enlarged detail in the isometric view of FIGURE 2. In the turret there are a series of spacer blocks 21, 22, 23, 24 secured to the upper face 26 of a disc 27 or plinth. The disc has a portion of its lower face 28 resting on the free surface 29 of a freezer plate 11 upper side. The disc 27 pivots centrically thereof on a cap screw 31 passing thru a centrical hole 32 in the disc. This cap screw 31 is normal to the upper face of the freezer plate and is threaded into a bracket 33 which is secured to the edge 34 of the freezer plate 11 by another cap screw 36.

The bracket has a recess in its upper face containing a spring 37 in the bottom thereof with a ball 38 setting on the spring. The spring and ball constitute a detent with the upper portion of the ball adapted to fit into either one 39 of four depressions spaced about and formed in the lower face 28 of the disc. The depressions are radially and circumferentially symmetrical of the disc. Each of the four spacer blocks is in quadrature with respect to the others as are the detent depressions 39, and, as here shown, there is a detent depression under each of the blocks. Each of the blocks is rectangular in shape with a narrow face secured against the upper face 26 of the disc, and the longitudinal axis of such narrow face coincident with a radius of the disc. The horizontal projection of all the blocks is the same and they are, also circumferentially symmetrical. The height of each block from the disc is different from that of the others and each block height corresponds to a package to be frozen height. The center of the disc is removed from the edge of the plate If enough so that when the taller blocks 21, 23 are parallel to the plate edge 34 and one of the shorter blocks 22, 24 is in operative position between adjacent plates, the upper of the two plates can rest on such short block without touching either of the tall blocks. In operative position, only one block is outboard of the bracket 33, between the freezer plates. The depressions 39 are located so that when the detent ball 38 fits in one of them, two of the spacer blocks will be parallel to the plate edge, only one block will be between adjacent plates, and the longitudinal axis of two of the blocks will be normal to the plate edge.

When fifteen or twenty of the freezer plates, such as 11, 12, 13, are stacked one above the other and loaded with filled packages, the weight of the upper plates and packages cannot be borne by the packages, hence, the spacer blocks. The blocks must be inserted between the plates so that the load is taken entirely in compression. In the present showing, the bracket 33 is used only for locating the disc 27 and its spacing blocks. It carries none of the plate load. The plates are hollow, and while strongly constructed, it would not be prudent to obtain the spacing thereof by devices secured to the edges thereof which had heavy shear loads applied thereto. Further, it is desirable that the cross section of the blocks be as small as possible so that frost and ice do not build up on the top face thereof, the contact face, to change the spacing between plates. A high unit loading of the block face prevents frost and ice building thereon.

The turrets may be indexed, rotated, manually by contact between each turret and an operators hand to select the block to be interposed of the plates. However, the isometric view of FIGURE 3 illustrates a manually actuated mechanism which may be used to index two of the turrets at a time, and this actuation may be had from outside, away from, such plates and their compartment. This indexing of a turret must be done when there is no load thereon. The turrets of a plate are without load when adjacent plates are separated for loading and unloading as shown in FIGURE 1 when the two bottom plates 12, 13 are separated by the upper plates 11, 12 being supported on the dogs 14. These two bottom plates are at what is called the loading station as described in my above mentioned patent.

Each of the turrets is provided with four radial slots 41 thru the disc 27, one slot equidistant between adjacent blocks. These slots function as finger slots for the reception of a downwardly extending operating finger of which there are two 42, 43. One such finger is at the end of and normal to each of two spaced apart parallel arms 44, 45 secured to and extending normal to an operating rod 47 which extends parallel to and spaced from the edge of the lower plate 13 of the two 12, 13 at the loading station. The fingers 42, 43 and the arms 44, 45 are spaced apart the distance which the turrets are spaced along the edge 34 of the plate, and all the turrets in the stack of plates are so spaced and are congruent. Thus as each plate in the stack becomes the lower plate at the loading station, it has the same relationship to the indexing fingers as any other plates turrets would have when in such position. Each fingers downward penetration into a finger slot is limited by a stop washer 48 secured to and coaxial of the finger at its juncture with its arm. The length of each finger is less than the thickness of the disc 27 which supports the blocks. The use of the stop washers 48 and the limitation on the length of the fingers prevents them from contacting the support bracket 33 as the fingers move parallel to the plate edge.

The operating rod 47 is provided with journals 49 and suitable bearings conforming thereto, not shown, which allow rotation of the rod on its longitudinal axis and movement along such axis. A handle 51 is provided at one end of the rod. Usually the rod is extended outside of the housing which may be provided for the stack of plates, and the handle is secured to the rod outside of such housing. Further the handle is secured to the rod about in the plane of the rod arms 44, 45 but, in the view of FIGURE 3, slopes upward from the rod and from the fingers. The purpose of this positioning of the handle is so that when the handle is moved downward to its dotted line position 52, the gravitational weight of the handle will hold the arms 44, 45 in their upright dotted line positions 54, 55 which are inclined away from d the turrets enough so that the fingers will clear the turrets as they are raised and lowered, and, yet, the rod 47 may be placed close to the vertical line of movement of the turrets.

The turrets may be indexed by raising the handle from its dotted position 52 to its slightly above horizontal position 51 and engaging the fingers 42, 43 in the finger slots 41 of the discs, as shown in the drawing. The handle is then moved longitudinally of the rod to its dotted line position 56. This will move the arms 44, 45 to their dotted lino indexed positions 64, 65 and, thereby, the fingers will index the discs 27 and their blocks a quarter turn. If a half turn of the disc is needed, the handle is dropped to disengage the fingers and the handle then returned to its full line position and the fingers into engagement in the next finger slots 41. The handle is then again moved longitudinally to its dotted line position 56 to again index the turret. Further, the turret may be indexed in either direction, that is, the disc may be rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise. Initially, the turrets are orientated so that each turret has the same size block placed between plates, and the order of the blocks around the discs is the same for all of the turrets. There is a turret indexing rod such as the rod 47 and its attachments, along opposite sides of the plate stack. To index the turrets, each rod must be actuated as each plate is the lower one at the loading station. Thus, the spacing between the refrigeration plates of a stack thereof may be quickly and easily changed.

Having thus described my invention, an embodiment thereof, its advantages, and its operation, I claim:

1. A pair of freezer plates and a spacer therefor, comprising: a pair of freezer plates with each plate having extensive top and bottom congruent planar sides, and each of said plates having a rim bordering, between, and narrowly spacing its said sides, and said plates being in congruency, one above the other with free surfaces of said sides in spaced opposition; and a spacer turret between and spacing apart said plates, said turret having: a bracket secured to the rim of one of said plates, said bracket having a surface coplanar with said one plate free surface; a plinth having opposite faces with one of said faces contacting said coplanar surfaces; pivot means centrically of said plinth pivoting it to said bracket; blocks peripherally arranged about and secured to the other face of said plinth, said blocks being of various heights measured normal to said plinth one face, and said plinth and blocks being so dimensioned and located that said blocks may be selectively and operatively positioned between said free surfaces of said plates by rotation of said plinth on said pivot whereby the spacing of said plates may be varied.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which there is a plurality of said turrets operatively positioned between said free surfaces of said plates.

3. The combination of claim 1 which has added thereto resilient detent means coacting with said bracket and said plinth to bias a block in such operative position.

4. A freezer plate and plate spacer, comprising: a freezer plate having extensive top and bottom congruent planar sides with free surfaces, and a rim bordering, between, and narrowly spacing said sides; and a spacer turret, having: a bracket secured to said rim; 2. plinth having opposite faces with one of said faces contacting a said surface; pivot means centrically of said plinth pivoting it to said bracket; blocks peripherally arranged about and secured to the other face of said plinth, said blocks being of various heights measured normal to said plinth one face, and said plinth and blocks being so dimensioned and located that said blocks may be operatively positioned opposite said free surface of said plate by rotation of said plinth on said pivot means.

5. A spacer for freezer plates, comprising: a bracket adapted to be secured to the rim of a freezer plate, said bracket having a first surface adapted to be coplanar with a surface of such plate and a second surface normal to said first surface with said second surface adapted to be in contact and coplanar with an edge of such plate; a plinth having opposite faces with one of said faces contacting said first surface and with a portion thereof outboard of said bracket from its said second surface; pivot means centrically of said plinth pivoting it to said bracket; blocks peripherally arranged about and secured to the other face of said plinth, said blocks being of various heights measured normal to said plinth one face, and said plinth and blocks being so dimensioned and located that said blocks may be selectively and operatively positioned outboard of said bracket from its said second surface by rotation of said plinth on said pivot means.

6. The combination of claim 5 which has added thereto resilient detent means coacting with said bracket and said plinth to bias a block in such operative position.

7. A spacer for freezer plates, comprising: a bracket having a face conformed to fit the edge of a freezer plate, a plinth having opposite faces, pivot means centrically of said plinth pivoting it to said bracket so that a portion of one face thereof is outboard of said bracket and in position to contact a surface of such a plate, and projections peripherally arranged about and secured to the other face of said plinth, said projections being of various height measured normal to said plinth one face, and said plinth and blocks being so dimensioned and located that said projections may be selectively positioned outboard of said bracket by rotation of said plinth on said pivot means.

8. A freezer plate and plate spacers, comprising: a freezer plate having extensive top and bottom congruent planar sides and a rim bordering, between, and narrowly spacing said sides; and plate spacers having: spaced apart brackets secured to said rim, each of said brackets having a surface coplanar with a free surface of a said side; a separate plinth associated With each of said brackets, each of said plinths having opposite face with one of said faces contacting a said bracket surface and its coplanar plate surface; pivot means centrically of each said plinth pivoting it to its bracket; and blocks peripherally arranged about and secured to the other face of each said plinth, said blocks ona plinth being of various heights measured normal to a said plinth one face, and a said plinth and its blocks being so dimensioned and located that said blocks may be selectively and operatively positioned opposite said free surface of said plate by rotation of a said plinth on its pivot means.

9. The combination of claim 5 in which said plinth is formed with slots therein extending radially from said pivot means, one of said slots being located between adjacent ones of each of said blocks, and which combination has added thereto finger means engaging in a said slot and movable to effect rotation of said plinth on said pivot means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,283,923 Hall May 26, 1942 

